Illustrator Of The Year
Illustrator Of The Year Award
The Illustrator of the Year Award is the professional category at the Singapore Children’s Book Festival recognising accomplished illustrators who have demonstrated excellence in children’s book illustration and visual storytelling.
Open to practicing illustrators, the category showcases works that exemplify creativity, artistic craftsmanship, narrative depth, and meaningful engagement with young readers. It serves as a platform to celebrate professional achievements within Singapore’s children’s publishing industry while highlighting the important role of illustration in shaping reading experiences.
Outstanding entries in this category are considered for the prestigious Illustrator of the Year Award, which honours significant contributions to the advancement if children’s literature and illustration in Singapore.
This year’s winners are Cheng Puay Koon and Linda Yew for their outstanding works in the Giant Clam Calamity and Lily’s Magic Pockets.
Illustrators Gallery
The Illustrators Gallery is the exhibition component of the Singapore Children’s Book Festival, showcasing outstanding works from the festival’s illustration initiatives.
The gallery features the winning and finalist works from the Illustrator of the Year Award, celebrating excellence in professional children’s book illustration and visual storytelling. Alongside these are the finalists and winning entries from the Student Manuscript Illustration Competition, where students illustrate unpublished manuscripts submitted by publishers, offering a glimpse into the next generation of illustration talent and the creative journey from manuscript to published book.
Bringing together established professionals and emerging illustrators, the gallery celebrates artistic achievement, highlights the breadth of Singapore’s illustration community, and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the visual narratives that shape children’s reading experiences.
The Illustrators Gallery 2026 ran at the NAFA Fashion Gallery from 19 June to 5 July 2026.
Submission For Illustrator Of The Year Award
The Illustrator of the Year Award is open to Singapore citizens and PRs who have illustrated a work of children’s literature published in Singapore during the period 1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2026. The winner will be recognised at the festival’s opening ceremony, with a prize of $10,000. Shortlisted artists will be invited to exhibit alongside the winner at the festival.
Submissions for the 2026 award are now closed.
More information for the 2027 award to be announced.
Illustrator Of The Year 2026 Winners
Cheng Puay Koon
Cheng Puay Koon is proprietor of a busy caterpillar hotel who sends off dozens of fluttering guests every season. She also habitually rescues baby guppies and stalks olive-backed sunbirds in their nests. After a long-ago stint doing various things at various newsrooms, where she also designed a brand-new newspaper, she decided to settle on drawing for a living. She has since illustrated more than a hundred books of different genres, including the Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase series, created with popular writer Neil Humphreys. She happily draws for the Singapore Zoo and Ministry of Education, and is thrilled to be a research and conservation artist of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Cheng Puay Koon won with her work in Giant Clam Calamity.
Authors: Emily Lim-Leh, Pauline Loh
Illustrator: Cheng Puay Koon
Publisher: Graceworks
Linda Yew
Linda Yew is a Singapore-based writer and illustrator. Also an English and Literature teacher to secondary school students, she hopes to connect with others through the shared joy of reading and storytelling. She blends her love for language with vibrant illustrations. Her unique style often combines watercolour textures with digital embellishments. She delights in crafting art that sparks wonder, celebrates imagination and brings a touch of magic to everyday life.
Linda won with her work in Lily’s Magic Pockets.
Author: Linda Yew
Illustrator: Linda Yew
Publisher: Pepper Dog Press
IOTY 2026 Winner
Winning Work: Giant Clam Calamity
Authors: Emily Lim-Leh, Pauline Loh
Illustrator: Cheng Puay Koon
Publisher: Graceworks
ISBN: 9789811778322
Synopsis:
It is Ernest Lee’s first camping and snorkelling trip. He discovers that, under the water surface, there is a whole other world!
When Ernest and his buddy, Coral Ling, are invited on a pre-dawn intertidal walk, he stumbles upon an underwater UFO! What is it?
Join the Earthkeepers in discovering the wonders of the giant clam and its mighty job in the sea! Award-winning authors Emily Lim-Leh and Pauline Loh come together with acclaimed illustrator Cheng Puay Koon to create this marine-loving book that is a keeper.
Winning Work: Lily’s Magic Pockets
Author: Linda Yew
Illustrator: Linda Yew
Publisher: Pepper Dog Press
ISBN: 9789819409631
Synopsis:
Lily loves to explore her neighbourhood, brimming with treasures waiting to be discovered and collected. From lost keys and homeless marbles to glittering feathers from golden birds, Lily keeps them safe in the pretty pockets that her grandmother, Popo sews for her. To Lily, they are precious – all infused with stories that make people happy. You see, Lily’s neighbourhood is magical, but only Lily can see it. She knows that the sleepy monitor lizard in the park is actually a fire-breathing dragon, and the red saga seeds lying on the ground are actually sparkling rubies scattered by the wind. She brings these treasures home and regales her family with their stories. But one day, Popo falls gravely ill and has to go to the hospital. Can Lily and her pockets full of treasure help make Popo well again?
IOTY: Past Years Winners
Illustrator of the Year 2026
Winners:
- Cheng Puay Koon, Giant Clam Calamity
- Linda Yew, Lily’s Magic Pockets
Finalist:
- Joshua Chiang, Tales of the Playground: Dinosaur Hatches Egg
- Joshua Chiang, Tales of the Playground: Who is the Sampan?
- Leow Jiayee, Nasi Lemak Emak
- Ross Monday, Kecoh Di Lereng Bukit
- Ross Monday, Maafkan Saya
- Audrienne Hui En Binte Mohammed Bazli, Michiko Buddies: Look Out!
- Quek Hong Shin, Letters to Paige
- Dorcas Tang Wen Yu, The Three Hungry Microbes
Illustrator of the Year 2025
Winners:
- Lim See John, Grandpa Yeh’s Journey South
Finalist:
- Sarah Ang, Charlie the Sweeper
- Zinnira Bani, Wil & Wyn’s Wild World: Fantastic Forest Adventure
- Zinnira Bani, Wil & Wyn’s Wild World: Fantastic Forest by Night
- Cacticyn, Jemma Dreams of Sushi
- Melissa Candrasaputra, Khai and His Butterflies
- Chan Shu Yin, The Dance of the Sambar Deer and More Singaporean Fables
- Cheng Puay Koon, Dung, Dung, Dung, DUNG!
- Nusha Dakshyni, I Don’t Like Brown
- Aliyah Jamil, The Moon Over Geylang Serai
- Jocelyn Lam, My Socks and I
- Adel Lee, Dangerous or Endangered?
- Natalie M. E. Tan, Wen and Giri Save the World
- Quek Hong Shin, Harry Hippo’s Holiday
- Daryl Wang, This is Your World
Illustrator of the Year 2024
Winners:
- Chloe Chang, The Little Singapore Book
Finalist:
- Alan Bay, Time Travel, Singapore! Our Singapore River
- Alan Bay, Screen Smart: Growing Up in the Digital Age
- Alan Bay, Intertidal Adventures of Biogirl MJ, The: Exploring Our Marine Shores in Search of a Mysterious Island
- April and Quinn Teoh, Ekor's Tail
- Ashton Wu, Don't Call Me Cute
- Chan Shu Yin, Beware the Sunda Slow Loris and Other Singaporean Fables
- Charlotte Ng, Journey to the West: Enlightenment
- Chong Jia Ying Jasmine, 独特的美
- Chong Jia Ying Jasmine, 朵朵的魔法耳朵
- Farah Iqbal, My Name is Adam. I have Type 1 Diabetes.
- Hairul Latiff, Kisah Raya Ramdan
- Hairul Latiff, Yaya Dan Kacang Hantu
- Heng Li Ching, Where Shall I Sleep Tonight
- Isabella Tong, The Little Prata Girl
- Javon Chan, Elephants Live Upstairs!
- Jayne Ong, The ABCs of Old Singapore
- Joanna Maneckji, Letters to My Grandfather
- Joseph Tey, 河豚壮壮历险记
- Joseph Tey, Together Town a home for all
- Khairudin Saharom, My Name is Riz. I have Motor Neurone Disease.
- Liau Kwee Eng, Dragons in Chinatown
- Low Joo Hong, Orang & Hutan
- MessyMsxi / Tan Zixi, A House in a Forest
- Mithula Palanivel, Peacocks Around Little India (Deepavali in Singapore)
- Nur Sarah Binte Abdul Wahid, My Name is Ling. I am Blind.
- Nusha Dakshyni, Obed & Safa
- Patrick Yee, Romance of The Three Kingdoms - The Brave Brothers
- Patrick Yee, The Happy Toy Hop
- Patrick Yee, The Mysterious Christmas Gift
- Patrick Yee, The Story of Little Wan
- Qin Yi, Tilly's Under the Weather
- Qin Yi, Kali's Frog in the Throat
- Quek Hong Shin, Chou Chou
- Quek Hong Shin, The Humpback Whale
- Ross Monday, Pengembaraan Zac Rushd: Cincin Bimasakti
- Sarah Ang, The River That Brings Us Life
- Shakina Razale, Lukisan Batik Nawrah
- Vandana Tjendana, Tiko and His Dragon
- Wang Fefiei, 袋鼠皮皮